The Reunion
by Mousy C
Summary: This Reunion may not be what you think it is. This is a late sequel of Loveless and Can Sins be Forgiven? (it takes place after Dirge of Cerberus)
1. New Beginning

Years passed.

Time flied faster than anyone would have thought. Things changed and so did the people. In Edge everything calmed down. The Shinra Electric Company was still extracting energy from the Life Stream. But, Rufus Shinra was smarter than his father. He made the people from Edge trust him little by little. He made himself seem as a savior. Surprisingly, it worked.

In Seventh Heaven things got normal. Tifa became very busy with the bar. It turned out that it was a success. Marlene and Denzel were teenagers. They were troublesome and were teasing each other a lot.

Cloud tried his best to talk and socialize more. Still, the only person whom he could talk to freely was Eloise. Vincent , Cid and Barret already became regulars at the bar. AVALANCHE was a strong and tight family. Eloise came to understand that on her own skin.

Eloise. Eloise Fair didn't change much. She was still keeping her heart closed, just in case. For her, no one was important enough to let in. She was cold and scary but she was improving slowly. Her personality was already changed. It was impossible to become that light hearted girl that she used to be. Reno and Tseng were the two men who knew that the best. They met her when she was playful and happy but that was such a long time ago.

However, Eloise had her own issues. She trained Cloud after Zack died. She trained him like she was trained; harshly. She used Sephiroth's methods. In the end, Cloud killed Sephiroth. She ran away and deserted right before Sephiroth awakened. She didn't want to see him or get involved. It wasn't her fight. However, Cloud found her a few years ago. They were having problems with the Geostigma. Thankfully, it passed and they were all fine.

There was one thing that she couldn't ignore, though. The last battle between Cloud and Sephiroth was giving her headaches.

_"You don't have to fight me Eloise. I am not your enemy. I taught you everything you know. I didn't kill your brother, I didn't kill Angeal and most definitely I didn't take Genesis from you. You don't have a reason to hate me. I was your mentor. I was the first one who gave you what you always craved, respect." Her eyes widened after she heard his words. He was right._

_"You took lives, Sephiroth. You started the crisis. You started the pain" He shook his head lightly._

_"You still don't understand, do you?" She looked a little taken back. What did he mean? His face was just a few inches from hers. She could feel his breath on her face._

Truthfully, she didn't understand. What hurt the most was that he was right. He always encouraged her; he was always there for her when they were in SOLDIER. He was her mentor. Against what most people were thinking about Sephiroth, she didn't have anything bad to say about him. Throughout SOLDIER, he had been her support. He gave her the sword, he helped her control her energy and he taught her everything she knew about fighting.

"But you died, as well" The brunette sighed and leaned her head against the window.

Cloud made a promise to Zack. He promised to take care of Eloise and become her brother in his place. He did that, even if it happened later. He practically dragged her to Seventh Heaven and somehow he emotionally blackmailed her into living there. Or that was how it looked from her point of view. Since she wasn't paying rent and she had to earn money somehow, she became a waitress; kind of. Well, she was doing anything she could to help Tifa.

It wasn't what she imagined. Drunken men were very annoying and she had some difficulties with people getting too close. The bar was full most of the time and she wasn't allowed to beat the customers.

Reno was another annoying brat. However, he was the only one who could get a smile on her face. No matter what, he was her oldest friend. They were both really young when they met and they bonded quickly. That bond was the same. It was impossible to break it because Reno wasn't giving up on their friendship.

Another annoying thing was her broken heart. Tifa and Yuffie found it vital to make her fall in love, again. That was impossible but they tried anyway. The poor victim was Vincent Valentine. He was a good fit for Eloise. After they found out more about his past, Tifa realized just how good they were together. Eloise did find it a little easier to be around Vincent. They were both experiments of Hojo's; monsters that lost a lot in life. But, they weren't in love with each other. They didn't even like each other that much. They were just made under the same circumstances.

Regarding her last meet with Hojo, she couldn't forget one thing: the Deepground incident. She could swear she felt something familiar down there. She couldn't quite point out what but it was there. The mako energy inside her body was making her tremble with anticipation. She knew Hojo did something before he got killed. She just had to get a few answers out of Rufus.

"Hey, Eloise! I need you to go serve some customers, please! Two beers and one shot. They should be at Table 5!" Eloise came down from the eerie and nodded. It was easy to give beers and snacks to people. Moreover, the bar wasn't open by day. That left Eloise to do whatever she wanted.

"Hey, girly! Why don't you come and sit with us, tonight?" The man reached out for her hand but she moved out of the way quickly. However, that drunken man was still talking bullshit behind her back. She rolled her eyes and ignored him completely. That was the only way to keep chill.

That was what she had to do. Give the orders to the customers. It was her job. She couldn't help but wonder when she became a civilian. She was part of the army from the moment she became a teenager. Marlene and Denzel were always so playful and always had so much energy. She was curious if she had been like that before, as well.

"Are you alright, Eloise?" She blinked and put the plate down. She was fine. "Can you stay behind the bar? I'll take the tables" She was thankful. Tifa knew how annoying it could get.

It was safer behind the bar. Eloise was quick in making drinks. However, she wasn't good in making conversation.

"So, this girl. She's an escort but she asked me when I will leave my wife for her. I don't even know what she expects me to do. I mean I-"Those kind of stories came often. Men were always looking for trouble. Eloise became good at blocking their voices out. It wasn't her business what that man wanted or not to do.

"Two beers here, yo!" Her head snapped towards the redhead and his bald partner. Reno was a regular at Seventh Heaven. He winked at her and made a cheesy face. She rolled her eyes but escaped from that troubled man. "Did I save you again, Eloise?" He leaned on the bar to get closer to her.

"Yes. Thank you" She was still not talking like she used to. Well, it was fine. Reno was talking for all three of them.

"So, I talked to Shinra about some things" He moved his eyebrows up and down.

"I'm not going to work for him" Reno scoffed.

"It's only for errands! Like Cloud! You can choose which one you want to take. Besides, your fighting abilities are getting rusty" She stared blankly at her old friend. "Consider it. It's better than working with people, right? You love it when you fight. That won't change" She sighed.

Reno had been trying to make her and Rufus become friends. In the first place, that was not going to happen because the two already talked before. Eloise knew that Rufus wasn't his father and had a different mindset. However, that didn't mean anything. He had to prove that he was different. He probably had a lot of people he wanted assassinated. She was the perfect person to do that for him but she wasn't going to. She wasn't going to protect Shinra.


	2. Dreams Can't Hurt You

In the morning, Eloise had to stay back and wash the dishes. Tifa went out for a bit and Cloud disappeared, like always. She was all alone downstairs and the sun didn't even rise yet. She was mopping around when she felt a sudden pain in her side. It was weird, because she hadn't fought in a while. She ignored it and went in the back. However, the pain was getting worse. She suffered for almost an hour when Tifa came back. She found Eloise leaning against the bar, on the ground.

"Eloise, are you hurt? Did someone break in?" The older woman shook her head. Tifa noticed the grip Elosie had on her side. She moved her hand aside and saw blood. "You're bleeding! Did you cut yourself on something?" Eloise shook her head. She moaned when Tifa applied pressure on that spot.

She helped the ex-SOLDIER into her room and placed her on the bed. She grabbed a towel and cold water. Eloise was getting worse. She was having a fever and she was sweating and squirming.

The weird thing was that-

"You don't have a wound" Eloise groaned in pain. "The blood comes from nothing. It's so weird. You are completely fine" Eloise' eyes widened. That happened before; a long time ago. She didn't have the chance to tell Tifa because she fainted. She already fought for too long against the darkness.

_She opened her eyes and realized she was in her old room, in SOLDIER. The place looked damaged. She walked around and inspected her old stuff. The memories of her childhood were overwhelming. _

_"So we meet again" That deep voice sent chills down her spine. However, she didn't back off or look remotely scared. _

_She turned around and faced her mentor. He looked the same as always._

_"I've been thinking a lot about what you said" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and walked closer to her. "You were right. You protected me; always. You gave me the respect I needed; you made me the fighter I am now. I understand you" She was thinking deeply about the words she wanted to use. _

_Sephiroth was silently watching her. She definitely grew up into a beautiful and strong woman. She looked nothing like she did when he first met her. Her hair was shorter, she was dressed differently and her eyes were colder than before. Those pale blue eyes that enlightened her face were gone. _

_"You look like me" She blinked. "You became what you feared the most, Eloise" He started to trail around her, like a wolf. He smirked and stopped behind her. "A monster" He whispered in her ear. _

_Her eyes hardened. _

_"Whose fault is that?" Sephiroth chuckled and took a few steps back. _

_"Yours. You gave up everything in order to become a hero. But in the end, you became me" Her left eye was twitching. He was trying to make her show her true colors; the colors of a monster. But she wasn't one. _

_She swayed her right hand to the left and she stared at one point on the wall. _

_"I'm not a child anymore"_

_"I can see that" Her eyes narrowed. There was energy swirling around her orbs. She opened her palm and turned to face her mentor. _

_"You can't see even half of it" Sephiroth's eyes hardened. He saw the swirls of energy flowing around her hand and figured how angry she was. In front of his eyes, she formed a sword that looked very much like the one he gave to her when she had her first mission. He smirked._

_"I see you still use that sword" She glanced at her hand _

_"My mentor gave it to me" She smirked. "It would be a waste not to show him how much I learned to do with it" Sephiroth grabbed his sword and launched at her. She blocked it easily with her own. Her eyes were shining and her sword looked a little bit different than he remembered. _

_She pushed him away and got in a defensive stance. Sephiroth regained his balance quickly and started to launch attack after attack. He was best at fighting fast. Fortunately, he taught her that too. She knew how to block his attacks and when to get out of his way. She was ready to swing her sword to the right and kick him while he was concentrated on her hand. It worked, partially. He was a smart fighter so he easily blocked her. Unfortunately, while trying to turn around and kick him, he grabbed a second sword and cut her side. _

_She stumbled and leaned on her sword. It stung. Her left side was wounded and the cut seemed pretty deep._

_"How can it hurt so badly when this is only a dream?" Sephiroth chuckled._

_"Maybe this isn't a dream. I live in you, Eloise" He patted her head, like he used to. "The Reunion will come soon" _

"Eloise" Tifa was worried. Eloise started to scream out of nowhere and squirm. She tried everything to wake her up but it didn't work. She called Cloud and told him to come home urgently.

"What's going on?" Cloud's eyes went to his old friend involuntarily.

"I found Eloise gripping her side. When I took a look, she was bleeding" Cloud frowned. "But she had no wound, Cloud. I don't know from where the blood comes" He sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand over her forehead.

"Eloise" She grabbed his hand and stuck her nails into it.

It took her a few more minutes until she woke up, sweating and breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide and she seemed scared. She gulped and tried to calm down. She shifted slightly and scrunched her nose. She let go of Cloud's hand and shoved the cover off. Cloud and Tifa were shocked.

"It's happening again" She closed her eyes in pain and laid back.

"What's happening?" Eloise didn't dare look at the two. She couldn't tell them the truth.

Tifa was intrigued. Moreover, she was worried for Eloise's mental state. She looked blank; like nothing happened in the first place.

"It's fine. Maybe I scratched myself while working" Tifa raised an eyebrow curiously. That wasn't realistic. There was too much blood for an insignificant scratch.

After Eloise woke up, Tifa helped her friend with her new problem. There was real blood on her side yet there was no wound. She was bleeding from nothing but skin.

"Are you alright, though?" Eloise nodded. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about this with me or Cloud?" She nodded again. Tifa sighed and got up. She finished cleaning the blood and wrapped a bandage around her waist, just in case.

"Tifa" The brunette turned to the older woman curiously. "I'm fine. Let's just drop this for now" She nodded and smiled softly. Once she left the room, Eloise laid back on the bed. "The Reunion" That sounded really bad.


	3. Pestering

The next day went very slow. Tifa tried to talk to Eloise and make her stay in bed. However, the older woman was stubborn. She kept the bandage around her waist but that didn't mean she was in pain nor had something to cover.

"I wonder what happened" Cloud walked downstairs and noticed Tifa staring worriedly at Eloise. She wasn't doing much. It was still early and the bar wasn't opening until 8 o'clock.

"She's fine" Tifa punched his arm. He cared for her more than he let out. But, he was still unable to show him emotions. However, he didn't seem worried at all.

"But she was bleeding. She was actually bleeding and she was in pain. It wasn't something she could just get over with so easily" Cloud sighed and glanced at her. Eloise was arranging the place and placing the chairs around the tables. She looked normal.

"Even if something is wrong, she's not going to tell us" Cloud grabbed his helmet and left shortly after. Tifa remained to prepare everything for the opening hour. If she wasn't going to tell her or Cloud, then she must tell someone. Someone like an old friend of hers.

"Yo! Eloise!"

The brunette rolled her eyes and got ready to leave. Reno caught her arm and dragged her to his table. It was Sunday night so the turks went out for a drink; together. Therefore, Tseng was there too. Of course, he didn't want it and didn't like it. But Elena was a stubborn woman and knew how to get him out of his office. Seeing Eloise was a bonus. The elder turk was always concerned about her.

"Look who we have here! Isn't this a rare sight?" He was referring to Tseng. He was stiff and hated loud bars. That was quite weird because she remembered Tseng went often out with Zack.

"It's been a while, Eloise" She nodded. It was a little awkward. They haven't seen each other ever since Sephiroth died. She tried to avoid him and she was still doing it. She was scared that he might trigger some old memories.

"I have work to do. Just tell me what you want" Elena nudged Tseng but he didn't say a word.

Eloise was a smart woman and she was very perceptive. She learned that in the line of work she did before. But she was still too oblivious to the world around her. Therefore, she didn't see Reno getting a chair and placing it behind her. She was surprised when he forced her to sit.

"So, I was just talking to these guys about a new mission. It seems someone wants to eliminate Rufus as soon as possible" She raised an eyebrow. "You know, we are always around him and we are amazing at protecting him but this guy is really good" He smiled boyishly and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm not getting involved. Ask Cloud" Reno scoffed.

"Oh, come on. You're our friend! We've known each other for more than 10 years!" She glanced at Tseng. She was waiting for some kind of defense but he didn't say anything. She felt a tinge of disappointment and left.

"You shouldn't force her to do your work" Rude's statement was rather rude. But he was realistic. She wasn't going to protect someone who meant nothing to her. Moreover, she suffered a lot because of his father.

"But she's been sulking for more than 10 years! Don't you think it's time to move on?" Reno leaned back against his chair and looked rather childish. He really wanted the old Eloise back.

"She's not going to accept working for Shinra" Tseng knew that better than anyone. However, Reno was right. She had been sulking and regretting for too much time already. "I will talk to her about it" Reno's eyes brightened and he became more excited than when he entered the bar. One taste was going to be enough to make her crave for that feeling again. He was sure of that. She was a fighter.

Tseng didn't have time to deal with her, though. It was a week and Reno was getting anxious. Nothing improved and nothing broke. It was all the same. He hated it. Therefore, he decided to take the matters in his own hands. Since she wasn't going to do anything on her own, he was going to do it for her.

"What do you want, Reno?" Rufus wasn't in a good mood. He hasn't been able to sleep for a few weeks. Someone was after his head and that someone became more brutal in his attacks.

At first, Rufus thought it was only some random anti-fan. Someone threw vegetables at his head and eventually, at his car. That was nothing. But, one week later, someone shot in the car and at him. It didn't even scratch him but that was probably part of the plan. The next two weeks, his house alarm turned on but no one was inside; his house got broken into; he started to hear weird things at night and he became paranoid. It was worse than being shot at. He was always living with that thought that someone was watching him. He moved in the office but he still couldn't sleep. It was excruciating.

"I know you've been really stressed lately, boss. I was thinking that maybe we need some professional help" Rufus raised an eyebrow but didn't take Reno's advice into consideration. He just went back to sorting his documents. His secretary wasn't good at that. She was always mixing them up.

"I have the turks, don't I?" Reno tilted his head to the side. Indeed, the turks were good enough. But he had ulterior motives.

"What if we hire someone with an objective eye? Someone like an ex-SOLDIER?" Rufus' first idea was Cloud. He was an ex-SOLDIER and they worked together before. It was under some special circumstances but he did help Shinra.

"If I needed Cloud's help, I would have sent you for him, wouldn't I?" Reno smirked. That was going to become very interesting.

"I never said anything about Cloud, boss. I'm talking about Eloise. She's an ex-SOLDIER, isn't she?" Rufus stopped arranging his papers and looked up at the redhead. "Should I go and tell her?" The blonde man didn't have any expression on his face. However, his eyes were laughing.

"No. I'm going to do it personally" Reno didn't expect such an approach. But, as long as she was going to say yes, he didn't care what method would be used.

Once Rufus entered Seventh Heaven, Eloise found it vital to make him feel uncomfortable. The whole bar was watching the two with amusement.

"What do you want?" His bright face was making her feel sick. His eyes were watching her like a prey. She hated how he always attracted attention on her.

"I need a favor. You don't have to be so mean about it" He leaned closer to her and smirked. "I did heal you before, didn't I?" Her eyes hardened instantly and she bit the inside of her cheek. He was pushing her buttons.

From the outside it looked really suspicious. He was whispering things into her ear. Her face was covered by his shoulder and Reno couldn't see her face. He was fuming in the back. They were on a mission not on break time.

It was quite a show when she kicked him and sent him flying into Rude. She didn't look happy at all and Reno was sure she wouldn't cooperate. It was probably worse than before. But he had a surprise.

"Fine. But don't bring that awful event back into my memory" She glared at the blonde and went in the back of the bar. Reno was curious. On the way back to the Company, he just couldn't endure it anymore.

"Hey boss, why did you tell her? What awful event?" Rufus chuckled.

"My 16th birthday party" That was a weird hint. The redhead didn't quite catch the drift. Rufus rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to spoil the fun for Reno. If he wanted to know so badly, he was going to remember sooner or later.

He did remember; a week later. His eyes widened suddenly and he started to laugh loudly. Rude didn't even want to know what he was thinking about. But Elena was a woman and she was curious what made the redhead so amused.

"Ah, the party of course. I forgot about it! Can't believe he used that to blackmail her" He was laughing so hard that he started to cry. Elena didn't understand and preferred to ask Tseng about it, later.

When she asked the elder turk, he chuckled bemusedly. Somehow, that party was very memorable. She was really curious. Tseng didn't tell her, though. He said it wasn't exactly something he could talk about. She puffed her cheeks in annoyance and went directly to the subject itself.

"I heard you're going to help us with the anti-fan" Eloise had no choice but attend to Elena. She was a customer. "I was just really curious how Rufus made you agree" Eloise' eyes widened.

"Well, I guess I can't hide it. He just loves to show off. As a kid, he did that a lot. Besides, he loves to make you feel uncomfortable and grab attention with cheesy speeches. He did that before, to me" Elena tilted her head to the side.

"Is that why you agreed to help him?" She stared at Elena for a few minutes.

"No. He helped me once and in return, I will help him" That seemed like a better response than what Reno assumed. Eloise became curious when she saw the expression on Elena's face. "Why?"

"Everyone thinks you agreed because of what Rufus whispered to you" She could feel one of her eyes twitching in annoyance. "I guess he did that for his own amusement" Elena smiled. She looked relieved. Once she left the bar, Eloise felt like breaking something; more especially, Rufus' head.


	4. Work

Whether she liked it or not, she had to help Rufus. She had a pride that didn't let her go back on her word. Cloud found her right when she was getting ready.

"So you're actually going to help Rufus" That wasn't a question. Saying it out loud sounded weird. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.

She was moving around without much of an aim. She didn't have to do anything but leave the house. She was fully prepared for a battle. She had the mako energy which became dormant. She could use it but that was coming with a risk. She wasn't mentally and emotionally stable to control it. A sword, she didn't really have one. She was using an electric rod.

"What have you done with your sword? It's been a while since you last used it" She stopped. He couldn't see exactly what she was doing because she had her back turned to him.

"I don't have a sword anymore" Cloud frowned. He wasn't sure he heard that right. He took a few steps towards her but stopped when she suddenly faced him. She looked completely normal. "I lost it. It's probably destroyed somewhere in the desert" She blinked innocently and walked right past him. He was confused.

Eloise was walking down the stairs when she felt a sudden pain in her abdomen. It wasn't that strong but she still had to take a seat for a moment.

"Not now. It's been a few weeks. I don't want it now" She was holding onto herself and swaying back and forth. Cloud watched her with worry. A few seconds later, she got up and walked out. The pain was gone. Her condition was unclear. He could understand why Tifa wanted to keep an eye on her.

Since she still had her own motorcycle, she didn't even bother with the so called bodyguard who came to protect her. She rolled her eyes and started the engine. She didn't need two gorillas to keep an eye on her. She was a big girl. But Rufus didn't think so. She was a good fighter but he didn't want to lose her at the corner. She was a sly fox and could disappear in a second.

Thankfully, that didn't happen. Reno and rude were patrolling the company. Shinra had to leave for a congress and Tseng was going to accompany him for the ride. The rest were going to be around.

"So you came, huh. I'm a little surprised, though. Did he make you agree with only a dance?" She stared at the stupid guy in front of her. He was a good friend but he was always hearing what he wanted to, not what it was.

"Sure. A dance" Reno smiled happily and leaned against his motorbike. "I've done worse for less. You know that" He nodded.

"You bet. Oh, you should come around the company sometimes. It's really fun. The new recruits are playful and we got some girl soldiers this time around" He looked genuinely happy. He really wanted to get her back to whoever she was before. "At least, let's go for a drink sometimes. You and I like old times. We can visit Sector 8. It's still standing"

"You won't back down no matter what, huh?" He shook his head furiously. She chuckled and patted his shoulder. "You got yourself a date, then" His smile widened. She was actually loosening up. She was finally going to open her heart more.

Or not. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she missed the adrenaline. She was watching Rufus' car drive to what looked like a really flashy hotel. The media was already fussing around it and she noticed five paparazzi around that place. Most of them were trying to keep a low profile.

"That guy can be anyone. He can easily infiltrate" Reno wasn't around anymore. He had to be around his boss. She was quite far from him. "But that would be too risky. If he planted bugs around his house, then he just wants to frighten him. He never really hurt him" She surveyed the surrounding buildings. Most of them were tall and newly constructed. They were also inhabited. Her eyes moved up. The hotel was taller than the apartment building. But, on the other side, he might not even be up there. "Hmm"

She needed to find something that would look remotely easy to hide. On the first floor of the building were two shops and a coffee place. She got off her bike and walked towards it. She glanced to the left and to the right. The street wasn't very populated. Besides, most people were watching the Shinra president.

"If I'd want to kill Rufus, where would I hide?" she had quite a few options written somewhere. No, she had an entire list. But she was thinking differently. He had different motives. She sighed and rubbed her head. That was going to take longer than she thought. She frowned when she felt a sudden wave of pain. She cringed but didn't let it show how much it actually hurt. She calmed herself down and took a deep breath in only to let it out slowly. She was fine. She was going to be fine. "Alright" She glanced at the hotel entrance. Rufus already entered and Tseng was keeping the press away.

The whole congress went pretty well. It took around three hours and nothing unusual happened. She was patrolling on the first floor when she heard some weird knocking noise. She closed her eyes and concentrated on it. The echo was making everything harder. She opened her eyes and went with the gut feeling. She stopped in front of the elevator and waited for it. That brought back memories.

_"And who might you be?" She groaned. She wasn't in the mood to talk. She just wanted to get a few hours of sleep in the lounge, with one window opened. However, the intruder had different plans. "Aren't you going to respond to my question, newbie?" She rolled her eyes and glanced at him over her shoulder. Her eyes widened. He was taller than her, he was handsome, he had red hair and he was carrying a book. But, what impressed Eloise were his eyes. His eyes were clear and beautiful._

"One moment can change your entire life" She sighed. She bit her lip and glanced at the elevator. It stopped between the second and third levels. She furrowed her eyebrow together in confusion. That wasn't a good sign. "But I'm sure he didn't plant a bomb there. It's too obvious, isn't it?" She grabbed her phone and called Reno. She told him to go check the second and third floors. But something still didn't seem right. He didn't want to hurt Rufus. He just wanted to see him suffer.

"Eloise, president will walk out in a few minutes" She nodded. Tseng walked back into the room only to get out a few moments later. He walked past her with a happy smile and no worries. She shook her head when he waved at her.

She followed them out when her eyes widened. She glanced at the elevator and saw that it was working again. It was close to the first level. When the doors opened, she realized what happened in between the floors. He didn't plant a bomb. It was worse.

"A summoned creature" She hadn't seen something like that in a long time. It was a little melancholic actually. She ran to Tseng and told him to get Rufus out of there. He frowned. "It's summoning materia. If you don't take him out of here, he'll get sucked into it" Tseng nodded and grabbed Rufus' arm. Everyone got alarmed and ran out. It was only her inside the hall. She waited for something to happen but it didn't.

She walked back into the first floor and stopped in front of the elevator. The doors were widely opened and the small ball of materia was standing there innocently. She touched it and realized that nothing was wrong with it. Actually, it wasn't even for summoning. It was healing materia.

She moved it around, just in case. It was suspicious. He planted simple material to scare him. But if he could plant materia in the elevator, he could place it in the car too. No one really stayed behind to watch the car.

"Right" It finally made sense. It was the easiest and most used way in movies. He was probably really young; a thug with some bad familial background. She had no choice but call Tseng again. He didn't pick up. When she walked out, she found out why. He was on the ground, unconscious. "Great" She rolled her eyes and ran to her bike.

From what she could find out, Rufus didn't have anything else in the schedule for the day. Therefore, the kidnapper could do anything he wanted, how much time he wanted. Reno and Rude were already surveying the city with the helicopter.

_"__Yo, Eloise. You better turn right at the next light. He's taking Rufus to the older parts of Midgar"_ She nodded. _"__Now, go forward 3 miles before you have to turn right again. You'll see an abandoned building. He should be there" _

_"_Roger that" She followed the instructions precisely. She got there in record time. Once she got off and started to walk around, it felt strange. She didn't feel watched by the culprit. It felt more like someone was evaluating her skills. She could swear she saw someone look at her behind a corner. He was tall and he was a guy. But that was all she could find out. It was too far.

Her attention moved on the task at hand quickly. She had to ascend the stairs to the fourth floor until she finally heard gun shots. She sneaked around and noticed Rufus' blonde hair. He wasn't hurt, yet.

"Rufus Shinra. I finally got you where I wanted to" The culprit was a young man. He looked to be around Cloud's age. "You're the reason why my family died!" It was the same old reason. The man grabbed Rufus' by the hair and moved him a little. "You know, my father was one of the few shippers of a new world. He believed that Sephiroth could create a better Earth. My mother was born in Nibelheim and she survived the fire. You know why? Because Sephiroth saw something in her. He let her leave" Eloise raised an eyebrow. That was new addition to the usual hatred towards Shinra. "Sephiroth was the good guy, not you" Well, Rufus was just a child when that happened. It wasn't really his fault. He was just the unfortunate punch bag.

"Sephiroth was evil. My father did everything to destroy him. He deserved to die" The man kicked him in the chin.

"Wrong! You're full of lies! Exactly like your father!" Rufus couldn't deny that. He lied a lot to his people. He needed to. He needed a better image than his father's. "We need to sacrifice ourselves for a better future. When Sephiroth returned, you killed him once again! Are you happy with how this world is? Because I am not. You're going to sacrifice for us, Shinra" She noticed the man getting a knife out of his pocket. She was disappointed, in a way. She had highr expectation from someone who tried so hard to mess with Shinra's head.

The man was ready to stab Rufus in the shoulder when he heard a small groan. His head snapped to the place she was hiding and he got up. He got ready to surprise her and stab her to death. However, he didn't find anything behind the wall.

"You're not quite what I was expecting" She grabbed his arm and twisted it. He groaned and tried to kick her. She tilted her head to the side and threw him next to Rufus. She bent to his level and pushed the knife away.

"What are you doing? Don't you want him dead, too? He only reminds us of bad times!" She watched him pitifully. He was driven by some blind courage.

"Do you want me to tell you why Sephiroth had to be killed?" He frowned. She was probably going to say what everyone said.

"He wasn't a monster. He wanted to create-" She stopped him.

"A new world. One where no one would suffer or be used. He wanted that. But it came with a big price. He wanted to rebuild this world from nothing. He wanted to destroy Earth. He wanted to destroy life" He flinched. However, he was still a strong believer.

"He would have made a better leader" She chuckled and glanced at Rufus. He still had tape covering his mouth. It was a funny sight. She enjoyed it.

"That's what you think. But you were only a child when Sephiroth changed his belief. He wouldn't have made a good leader because he suffered his entire life. You can't make someone born to become a monster to change over the night into an angel. What you can do is to stop him from hurting himself and others. That's why he had to be killed. Because nothing comes out of suffering" Rufus watched the woman give deep explanations. She knew that better than anyone. The man noticed something at her.

"Your eyes-your eyes look so familiar" She sighed.

"These are the eyes of a monster" The man's eyes widened. Her eyes were blank. She looked like a doll. She was lifeless. She was Sephiroth. She looked like him and she gave the same feeling.

She didn't want to kill the man but she was sure he was either going to pester Rufus continuously, either pester her. She didn't like her options. She only needed to stab him. Thankfully, once he got free, Rufus grabbed the knife and plunged it deep into that man's heart. He fell on his back with his eyes wide open.

"Done. You're getting rusty, Eloise. Where is that blue energy?" She felt ready to stab the blonde.

"Somewhere you'll never find it" He chuckled.


	5. Remember?

Once left alone, she couldn't deny the pity she felt for that young man. He was one of the few people who had different believes regarding Sephiroth. Of course, he wasn't aware of the monstrous being called Sephiroth. He didn't go through the pain as much as others did.

"But I didn't either" She ran away. She was afraid that if she would see him, she would run into his arms and become a child again. No matter what, he had been a brotherly figure for her. And after everything that happened, she was probably still not able to hurt his memory.

She walked towards the edge of the floor. It was wreck and the walls were half broken. She closed her eyes and sighed. Suddenly, the pain in her abdomen came back. It was even worse than before. She touched that specific spot and felt it wet. She was bleeding. From what she could see, it was quite severe. What really scared her was the small sparkle that appeared with the blood. Her breath became heavier and she stumbled a little. In the end, she fell on her knees and gripped her side tighter.

_"__Why are you taking me to this place?" Like the last time she fainted, he appeared in front of her. He was there and he was staring blankly at her. He took a few steps closer and placed his hand over her head. _

_"__You're still a kid, Eloise" She glared up at him and shook his hand off. She became tall but Sephiroth was still one head taller than her. "Every time I induce this state to you, something happens outside" _

_"__I know that. My brother died while you kept me here" He chuckled. That was probably going to haunt him forever. He kept her safe while her brother sacrificed himself. It sounded really evil. Even though his words were meant for comfort, she felt none._

_"__I know why you started this again. It's about the help I have to give you. One teeth for another, as they say" He tilted his head to the side and watched her in silence. _

_"__You still don't understand. The Reunion is not about me or you; it's about something greater than Jenova" Her eyes widened. "Remember the story of the three friends, Eloise?" She nodded. _

_"__Three friends went to search for the gift of the goddess. They lost each other and they faded away slowly. One of them caught a glimpse of what the gift was" Sephiroth blinked. _

_"__And what was that gift?" She was ready to respond but he silenced her. "No one knew. They all had their own theories yet the one who saw it didn't live enough to tell about it. You guessed right, though. The gift of the goddess is life"_

_"__But everyone died" He smirked._

_"__Is that correct? The gift may as well be in the remaining Jenova cells. You and Cloud" She sighed and walked past him. She started to feel anxious and she knew exactly why. _

_"__And Genesis. Isn't that where you wanted to get? Genesis didn't die" Sephiroth turned to her and tilted his head questioningly. _

_"__Why would Genesis be important in this matter? He was a failure" She glanced at him over her shoulder. Even if he sounded innocent, he knew what she was referring to. _

_"__Because Genesis is my soft spot. Much like I am yours. You can't help but care. You can't harm me and you can't kill me. That's how I feel towards him and that's what you feel towards me. You're going to exploit my feelings" He blinked. She was right. He did care for her in the past and he still did. _

_"__I don't want to exploit you" It seemed she hit some nerve because Sephiroth grabbed his sword and pointed it at her neck. "No matter how well you think you know me, you can't read my mind. I don't want to turn you against what you love" She glanced down at his sword and blinked. _

_"__You're just like the rest" _

_"__Tell me, Eloise. What would you do to get Zack back, even for a moment?" She looked straight into his eyes and felt a chill run down her spine. _

_"__Anything" He chuckled and put his sword back. _

_"__Good" That was the end of their discussion. He started to fade into dust and she was sure she was going to wake up soon._

For the next few weeks, she couldn't think about anything but Sephiroth and his plan. She had a few hypotheses but he didn't seem to act according to them. He didn't want to return necessarily for revenge. Or maybe he lied to her. Anyway, she was completely lost.

"Hey Eloise, did Shinra call you for your pay?" Reno returned to being the annoying friend who would always end up at the bar. He saw how far gone she was most of the time. She still did her job but she became aware of everyone and everything in the bar.

"No" That job for Rufus was very weird too. He was happier than he deserved and everything in his life came back to normal. But that man he killed was definitely too spontaneous to be behind his tormenting. She realized that after a few days. The person who was after Shinra didn't want to kill him in the first place. He wanted to see him suffer and take out his anger on his subordinates.

"Well then, you should come over tomorrow. He's been very bright and will definitely give you another job" She rolled her eyes. "And don't forget about our date. You already said yes to it" He winked and left the bar. She sighed and went back to work.

"Eloise, can we talk for a moment?" Cloud wasn't usually the type to get worried for her. She was an adult. Moreover, she was a strong fighter. But she was acting suspiciously lately. She opened the door to her room wider for him to enter.

They looked at each other in silence. Cloud wanted to ask her about a lot of things. On the other side, Eloise was thinking about Loveless. She knew she bought that book and put it somewhere. She just needed to find that spot.

"I-" She stopped and her eyes widened. She felt her side stung. She was sure that nothing was going to happen. Cloud frowned and helped her on the bed. He noticed the blood on her side and panicked. He could swear she was fine a minute ago.

"What's going on Eloise?" She grabbed his hand and gripped it tightly. She was in great pain and Cloud didn't know how to help her.

"Just stay here" He nodded. Her eyes closed slowly and her expression softened. It looked like she fell asleep. The wound on her side was still bleeding. With one hand, Cloud raised her shirt up in order to see well. She was bleeding but it didn't seem as if the blood was coming from somewhere. It just appeared on her skin. What was worse was the electricity running through the blood.


	6. Not a Date- Reno's Version

Fortunately, it wasn't Sephiroth who induced the pain. Unfortunately, she didn't know how someone else could induce it when Sephiroth was the only one able to do it.

"What's going on? What happened to her?!" Reno barged in and went straight to her side. She was sleeping on the bed but didn't look peaceful at all. She was pale and she was sweating a lot. Tifa was changing the cold compress from time to time. She had a fever and it looked like it wasn't going to go down any time soon.

"She fainted. She had blood coming from her side but it stopped now" Reno frowned. His eyes moved towards Cloud's hand. Eloise was still gripping on it tightly.

"Did it happen before?" Tifa glanced at Cloud worriedly.

"It did, yes. But she used to wake up after an hour or so. I don't know what's wrong with her"

"Can it be from the cells?" Reno shook his head.

"No. I'm sure you would have had the same symptoms. You look fine so it's obviously something else" He was really worried and scared. When it came to Eloise, it was really hard to explain what was going on. Her body was modified to the point where her DNA changed. The only person who could help her was dead.

"What do we do now?"

"Nothing" Their heads snapped to their patient. Her eyes were barely opened but at least she woke up. "Do nothing. It will pass" Reno shoved Cloud aside and grabbed her face.

"Are you crazy?! You're burning and you're telling me to stay and watch?! Are you stupid? No. Don't respond" She wasn't even going to. Reno was a good friend until he would start acting like a father. He was getting old.

Eloise needed rest. She was overworking herself by talking to them. Her body was still not healed internally. Or that was what everyone thought. Her body was completely fine. The only thing that hurt was her head. She wasn't sure what was going on either. She genuinely became unconscious from some unknown reason. Sephiroth didn't cause it and she didn't suffer any injury.

In Reno's point of view, she needed to go out more and relax her mind. She was thinking too much about unnecessary things. When he entered the bar and grabbed her hand, she was sure she wasn't going to return until nightfall.

"Where are we going?" Reno didn't even think about letting her go. She was going to run or get lost in the crowd. The redhead didn't give her any response. He wanted to keep the surprise. Unfortunately, the place he got her into was familiar to Eloise.

"It looks pretty much the same, huh?" Her eyes widened. She blocked the noise and concentrated on her memories. Sector 8 didn't change much, indeed. When she first walked on those streets, it was empty and abandoned. She witnessed the wolf right when a flower shop had been built. After a few years, Sector 8 had been rehabilitated.

Eloise ended up being Reno's shopping partner. He took care to make her look around the clothing and accessories stands. She didn't look content but she didn't look annoyed either. If he didn't know better, Reno could swear she was enjoying herself in her own way.

Unlike Genesis, Reno chose a normal restaurant for dinner. Somehow, it felt like they weren't welcomed there. The turks were still disliked. However, she felt like it wasn't the status of the turk that made it uncomfortable; it was simply Reno.

"Did you get in trouble with the waitress?" She wasn't really curious but someone was staring intensely at the back of her head.

"Hm? Waitress? I don't think so" Eloise raised an eyebrow and waited for the girl to come and take their orders. She was pretty sure Reno was going to get punched in the face. She couldn't wait to see that.

"Can I take your order?" The waitress was really pretty. Even in Eloise' eyes, she looked really petite and frail.

"I want the steak. What about you, Eloise?" Eloise looked up into the waitress's eyes. She was trying not to glare at her customer but she was obviously measuring her. It seemed she had been labeled as a potential threat because the girl narrowed her eyes at her.

"I'm not hungry. I want coffee" Reno seemed distressed. She wasn't eating well.

"Then let's make it two steaks, please. With fries" Eloise's eyes snapped to Reno. He was staring at her as if he was trying to scold her with his eyes. The waitress nodded and left. "You should eat. You've been losing a lot of blood in only a few weeks" She leaned her chin on her hand and turned her head to the window.

"I don't want to talk about that" He scoffed and grabbed her chin so she wouldn't get the chance to avoid his eyes.

"Look, Eloise. We've known each other ever since you entered SOLDIER. It's been more than 10 years since you let yourself cry. A lot of things happened to you. I'm just worried for you. Isn't that normal between friends? Aren't we friends?" It seemed he triggered something in her because she slapped his hand away and leaned back; as far as she could get from him.

"Is that all you want to talk about on our free day?" He was astonished. She was still trying to avoid the subject. She didn't even agree on the friendship part. "If you so desperately want to know what's happening to me, why don't you wait and see for yourself?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side.

"One of these days, it will happen again. The blood will suddenly appear on my side and I will be in pain. I'm going to faint and won't be able to wake up until it's over" Reno frowned.

"Until what's over?" She sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't elucidate the mystery. Reno was still clueless to what was going on in her head.

The steak came a few minutes later. The girl just threw the plates in front of them without any sympathy.

"What the-" Eloise rolled her eyes and glanced at the retreating waitress. "Someone's being very bitchy today"

"I wonder whose fault is that" Her judging tone and stare were enough to make Reno glare at his steak. However, he didn't respond. He knew he probably forgot some important detail there. Well, it didn't matter.

After they ate and Reno paid for it, he continued to drag her around. He was careful not to lose sight of her. She completely lost the need to escape, though. It wasn't so bad; going out with Reno from time to time was probably a good idea. They were walking around when she noticed a billboard. It was for the new and improved play at the theater.

"Wanna go check it out?" She chuckled. It was a little offensive but Reno was definitely not the kind of man to enter the theater and not fall asleep during a play. He noticed the doubtful glint in her eyes. "If you want to know, I do enjoy going to the theater"

"I'm sure you do" He glared at her and nudged her towards the ticket booth. Unfortunately, since Reno was in such a haste to show her just how much he liked plays, they didn't check the title. It only took the first words for Eloise to recognize it. Her good mood lowered suddenly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we present you in this lovely evening, Loveless!"

Eloise's right eye was twitching. She glanced at the audience to see their reactions. They were applauding and acting excited. Her eyes traveled to the man next to her. He was, probably, the most excited of them all.

_The piece started with one man, standing in the middle of the scene. The light was dim. They could only see his form. The man seemed lost and dumbfounded until he started to speak._

_When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end_

_The goddess descends from the sky_

_Wings of light and dark spread afar_

_She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting_

_After he finished, two other men walked from each side of the stage. They started to talk about their lives and about the everlasting gift of the goddess. They decided to go and search for it. That was how the first act started._

_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess_

_We seek it thus, and take to the sky_

_Ripples form on the water's surface_

_The wandering soul knows no rest._

_There weren't only parts of the poem. Eloise was surprised to hear the men talk normally, as well. They were using a script; they weren't only reciting the poem. They were reenacting a life story._

_The quest itself seemed to be dangerous and heartbreaking. Two friends ended up on one side while the third one was left alone. Eloise's eyes moved on Genesis. He was entranced by the play._

_There is no hate, only joy_

_For you are beloved by the goddess_

_Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds_

_Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul_

_Pride is lost_

_Wings stripped away, the end is nigh_

_The actor who played the third friend was quite good. His acting was heartbreaking. She could feel the sadness and regret he held in his heart. However, he was optimistic because he had the gift of the goddess to find. For him, that purpose alone was what gave him hope and helped him move forward._

_The two friends ended up separating as well. One was closer to the third while the other one was further apart. In the end, the second friend died and the third friend had to bury him. It was a beautiful scene. They acted as if the second friend went to the goddess. They even used a mechanism to make him seem like he was flying._

_My friend, do you fly away now?_

_To a world that abhors you and I?_

_All that awaits you is a somber morrow_

_No matter where the winds may blow_

_My friend, your desire_

_Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess_

_Even if the morrow is barren of promises_

_Nothing shall forestall my return_

_On the other side, the first friend was getting further and further away from the gift of the goddess. He got lost and died alone._

_The third friend was the only one who survived, barely. He found out that the gift of the goddess was life itself._

_The audience applauded enthusiastically and cheered. Eloise's mind was overwhelmed. For her, that theater piece felt more real than she originally thought._

_Genesis didn't seem affected at all. He grabbed her arm and dragged her outside._

_"What did you think about it? It's different when you see it played, right?" She nodded. She couldn't get rid of the sorrowful feeling._

_"Three friends wanted to find the gift of the goddess. They started as a team and ended up getting lost" Saying it out loud, it made her heart throb. "I don't want that to happen"_

_"It's already happening" Her head snapped to him. He wasn't looking at her. He was looking straight ahead._

She didn't know how the piece had been modified. She didn't even watch it. She entered a state of sorrow and she got lost in her memory. She didn't even blink for the whole play.

"Ah, that was really sad" He got up and turned to her. She was still sitting down, staring at the stage. "Eloise?"

"That gift of the goddess destroyed the friendship of three powerful men. I wonder what will happen when he will come back" Reno patted her head and tried to cheer her up.

"Well, at least one of them survived right? He got to see what he's been looking for his entire life" That seemed to make her realize something. She looked at him and opened her mouth to say something. "Um, Eloise?" No sound was coming out of her mouth. She was sure she was talking yet she couldn't hear it.

She frowned and grabbed his arm. Her grip was getting tighter as she was getting up. She was using it as a support. Her vision became blurry and she felt something she hadn't felt in more than 10 years.

"It's awakening" Reno was staring worriedly into her wide scared eyes. The monster inside of me. The energy"


	7. Sleeping Beauty

She was barely standing and Reno found no other choice but to get her to a hospital. She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head quickly.

"Take me to Shinra laboratory. There has to be something left from Hojo's last work" He nodded.

When they got there, he called Rufus without thinking too much about the consequences. The president prepared a whole room for his special guest. Eloise was still conscious and seeing Rufus' annoying face wasn't really what she wanted.

"Calm down, Elosie. I'm going to insert healing material and call a doctor to check up on you"

"Healing materia" She took a deep breath. It was really hard to talk. "Healing materia is made of Life Stream energy" She took a small break and closed her eyes. "A surplus of mako energy will make me lose control" Rufus' eyes widened and nodded.

"Reno. Call Aya. We don't need a doctor. We need a scientist" The redhead nodded and left quickly. Unlike what most turks expected, Tseng barged in the room and ran to her side. He grabbed her arm and checked her temperature. She was fine but something was taking action inside her body.

"Is it Jenova?" Tseng was known to ask exactly what he wanted to know, no matter the circumstances. She shook her head. "Is it Sephiroth, then?" She frowned but still didn't agree with the turk.

"It's the Life Stream" Rufus was watching from the side. When he heard that, he walked closer.

"The Life Stream can't harm humans. The planet doesn't attack itself" She chuckled darkly.

"I'm not human, remember?" His eyes widened. That was true.

"What did actually happen?" After she fell asleep, Rufus and Tseng went into the president's office. "I heard the Life Stream has been acting suspicious lately but this is weird" Tseng nodded.

"There is the theory of her cells reacting at something she has done. Maybe the Life Stream is protecting itself against the cells" Rufus nodded. That was a plausible theory.

"The only scientist who knew how to act in this situation was Hojo. We need someone with the same knowledge in order to save her from herself" Tseng straightened his posture and nodded. "I think it's time. Go find Genesis" The turk nodded and left. That was quite an interesting mission. Rufus sighed and leaned against his desk. If the Life Stream was acting up then something was stirring it. Something big and dangerous.

When Elosie woke up, she was connected to an IV and a young lady was hovering over her. She was dressed in a white gown and looked like she wasn't just squishing her patient underneath.

"The sleeping beauty awakens. You must be really important if Reno ran all the way to my house to get me" Eloise rubbed her eyes and sat up. "What are you doing? You're not able to walk" Indeed, she almost fell on her butt if the lady didn't catch her. She ended up back on the bed.

"You're a scientist" The lady nodded. "You're a Shinra scientist" She nodded again. "Why?" She seemed surprised by her question.

"Because my cousin was a Shinra scientist too. He used to work in the Shinra Manor, in Nibelheim. He died" Eloise's eyes hardened. She probably killed him; or maybe Sephiroth.

"What did you find wrong with me?" The woman scoffed.

"Everything!" She started to look through her notes. "Your heart beat is slower than most humans. Much slower. Besides, you have a certain defensive system that electrocutes whoever touches you while you're asleep. You have energy running through you alongside thick red blood. Your senses are higher than any human's and your DNA has been modified" Eloise furrowed her eyebrows and pondered on the last statement.

"How can you find that out? You don't know how my DNA looked before" The scientist nodded and walked closer to her patient.

"Yes. According to your genes, you should be blonde and have grey eyes. You should be taller and have a different face shape. However, your hair is black and your eyes are a pale blue. That little piece of your original DNA was powerful enough to keep your original traits. However, you do act according to the new DNA" Eloise blinked and felt a sudden wave of anxiety rush through her body.

"I'm two people in one" The scientist stared blankly at her.

"More or less, yes. You shouldn't even be alive. Nothing in your body works well. The only thing that keeps you alive is-"

"Sephiroth" The scientist looked warily at Eloise. What was that supposed to mean? When she realized what she said, she shook her head. "No. It's not important" The scientist nodded and walked towards the table.

"I'm aware that you are Hojo's experiment. You should thank the DNA you got. You're 30 years old, aren't you?" Eloise looked to the side and bit her lip. "You don't look older than 20, though. That's quite a trait"

"No. It's a trap. Looking into the mirror and seeing the same face is a curse. The sadness and anger are still there. I can see the past happening all over again" The scientist sighed and looked pitifully at her. A trait can become a curse in a blink of an eye.

"Well, you should eat and stay here for a few days" She left Eloise wandering her thoughts.

It was a few hours later when Rufus entered her room. It seemed she was having a nightmare. As he walked closer to her, he realized she had sparkles coming from her body. His eyes widened when he saw what was actually happening to her.

She was trembling and squirming in her sleep. He didn't even know if she was asleep or in some kind of trance. He touched her hand and he got electrocuted. He grabbed his phone and called the person who could enlighten them.

"Tseng. Did you find him?" The turk sighed. HE had gone through a lot of trouble to get that information but-

_"He's not here. It seems he changed places"_ Rufus narrowed his eyes at Eloise. She was the one making all the fuss. She was the one who still had to blow up in order for them to live normally.


	8. Found

"Where is Eloise?" Reno and Rude were staring boringly at the blonde. He had one hand on his sword and the other around some unfortunate officer's neck. "Do I have to ask again?"

Reno rolled his eyes and placed his hands in his pockets.

"She's a big girl. I'm sure she can take care of herself" Cloud stared rudely at him.

"She's not in the state to be hidden" Reno nodded and glanced at Rude.

"She's not. And that's because you didn't realize just how much she controlled herself all this time" He sighed and grabbed the officer from Cloud. He told him to move along and keep quiet. The officer complied. "You see, Cloud. I know Eloise and I know when she's had enough"

"She's trying to have a normal life. You and Shinra can't help her. You can only remind her of the past" Reno scrunched his nose and walked closer to the blonde.

"That's because the past never stopped following her. Don't you recognize her behavior?" Cloud seemed calm but Reno could see his pupils dilating in anger. "It's Sephiroth. He will never stop following her, be it dead or alive"

"That doesn't have anything to do with her recent state. Sephiroth is dead and can't harm her" Reno leaned back and glanced at Rude. The bald man nodded. Cloud didn't know what was happening.

"Come with us"

Reno didn't take Cloud to Eloise. Instead, he took him to the Shinra laboratories. There was only one scientist working intensely on something.

"This is Aya. She consulted Eloise about her problem" Cloud's eyes moved on the young woman. She actually looked to be around Eloise's age; more or less. Reno walked towards her and wrapped an arm around her waist. She slapped it off instantly.

"Are you here to annoy me or to know what I found?" Reno took a step back. She smiled to herself. "Good. Well, I took a sample of her blood and analyzed it. Surprisingly or not, it has electricity. At a normal sight, it doesn't look dangerous. However" She walked deeper into the lab and pointed to a microscope. Reno encouraged Cloud to look at it first. "What do you see?"

"I see blood cells. They're red and move around" She nodded. She rolled a small laver and told him to watch again. His eyes widened. "The cells are still multiplying. And they have this jelly substance running through them. It's different than electricity" She nodded again. Cloud got back and let Reno see it too.

"What you see is called regeneration" Reno's head quirked up and stared at her surprised. "Even though she was stabilized before, Hojo didn't stabilize the process of regeneration. Theoretically, her body can fight against any poison and wound. It can help her in so many ways that she might as well be compared to a deadly weapon. Practically, her body is functioning for two" Cloud frowned.

"Is that why she's been having illusion wounds?" She nodded.

"Those aren't illusions for her. The pain is real and the wound is real too. But granted to her fast healing abilities and surplus of mako energy, she heals before you can see it. I think that is a way of her body to get the surplus of cells out" Reno glanced at the microscope. Those were really bad news but he had a feeling that it wasn't even half of what was going on in her body.

"Is there a way to stop it?" Cloud was worried. He made a promise to Zack and he wasn't going to let the Fair siblings down.

"No. Unfortunately, what is happening is a protective reaction. If you dare touch her in that moment, she will emit electricity and it she won't be able to control it. She gets into this sleeping state and she is not conscious of the outside world" She sighed and looked at the blonde. "You can't control these reactions. I'm afraid it will get worse"

"Is there a way to kill the surplus of cells in her body?" She shook her head.

"No. I don't understand why it's happening now. There must have been a trigger" Reno's eyes widened and he glanced at his partner. Rude nodded. He knew what he was thinking about.

"The Life Stream" Cloud turned to Reno with wary eyes. He wanted answers.

"The Life Stream has been out of control lately. It provokes earthquakes and floods. Besides, the whole place seems guarded and we can't get close to it. The Life Stream is protecting itself from something and we can't seem to know what from or why" That was classified information. But then again, Eloise' state was at stake. He had to tell Cloud everything. Of course, being a turk, he left out a tiny and maybe unimportant detail.

Once Cloud left, Aya turned to Reno.

"Did they find him?" He shook his head disappointingly. She sighed and leaned against the table. "He's her only chance. He knows everything about her. You said they were very close" Reno chuckled at the memory.

"They were. But I'm still not sure if he's alive" Rude punched his friend's arm. The big bald guy liked Eloise and her interesting ways to avoid Reno. He wanted to see her breath not pale in a coffin.

On the other side, Tseng was on his way back from Nibelheim. He searched the whole village and not only. He even went in what remained of Banora and in Gongaga. Nothing. He was starting to lose faith.

They were going to pass by the abandoned part of Midgar. Tseng watched the sight as the car drove by. Once upon a time, it was a prosperous place where children were playing and youngsters were going on dates. He sighed. The melancholy of those times was still haunting him.

While the turk's eyes were moving from side to side, he noticed something. It was small but it was a movement. Someone was there; someone was watching him.

"Stop the car" The driver complied quickly. Tseng ran out of the car and surveyed the surroundings. "Leave" the driver frowned.

"But boss-" Tseng's cold gaze made the driver gulp and follow his orders.

Once left alone, Tseng grabbed his electric rod and walked down an alley. The buildings were half broken but some of them still looked affordable. Someone could live there if they wanted to. If they didn't have any place to go.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He turned around and ran after the sound. The other person was quite fast. It led him to a back alley with one way to get in.

Suddenly, piles of rocks started to fall down. Tseng looked up and his eyes widened. He was going to get crushed under them. He tried to avoid most of the big pieces and get out. Fortunately, he did make it. He had dust on his clothes and face but his body was intact.

While he was regaining his breathing, he heard the sound of footsteps again. However, he didn't have the chance to follow them. He felt a breeze before he felt metal against his skin.

"Well, well. Look who's visiting" He knew that voice. It's been too long since he last heard it. He didn't miss it but he needed him. He turned around slowly and eyed the red haired man.

"Genesis. Glad to see you're alive" The turk had one certain reason for his visit. Genesis had no idea what was going on. But it didn't matter. Tseng had a mission. "You have to come with me to Edge" The redhead fighter raised an eyebrow.

"And why would I come on my own to that filthy place?" He looked all so smug.

"Because Eloise is dying" His little smirk fell instantly. It had been too long since he last heard that name. Since someone reminded him about that girl. The girl he left behind for her own safety yet she got hurt the most.


End file.
